Push-button.



D. R. LOVHJOY.

PUSH BUTTON.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. a, 1907.

960.654, Pafiented June 7, 1910.

FIGJ. F192. FIGB.

. I I v I v Mr W 7 i L FIG-5. Fags.

Fig.7. -FIG.8.

WITNESSES:

"INVENT R m away] UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DIMNIT'I R. LOVEJOY, or IRVING-tron, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR To U. s. E. M. co, 0]? NEW YORK, N. Y.

PUSH-BUTTON.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DIMNITT R. LOVEJOY, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Irvington, in the county of Vestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Push-Buttons, of which the follow ing is a specification.

lVIy invention relates to means for closing an electric circuit by pressing a button.

The objects of the invention are to avoid pin and screw holes in the insulating base, to facilitate and save time in the assembling of the parts by dispensing with all screws and nuts; to adapt an integral insulating base to removal, with all operative parts, from its sheath without having to operate upon any fastening device; to provide automatic tapering binding posts for the circuit wires, to secure a sure scraping action on closing the circuit; to guard against grounding and short circuits; to be able to take the device apart rapidly for cleansing, repairing, refinishing, and engraving characters on the face of the button.

Apartment houses and other buildings have hundreds of push buttons, and hence, time saved in installing them, is of great importance.

\Vithout regard to the scope of the invention, which is attended to in the claims, and without regard to the exact construction, which is described by reference to the accompanying drawings, the general nature of the organization comprises a sheath, a button therein, a circuit closing bar extending from said button, and having a slot; an insulating base having a hole for receiving said bar; a pin tightly held in said base and passing through said slot; bent contact springs; retaining pins at the bends thereof, one end of each spring being bent to form a tapered interior surface for receiving and holding the terminals of circuit wires, and the other end of each spring lying in the path of said bar; a retractile spring between said button and said base; the bar and hole in which it loosely fits, beingelongated in cross-section toprevent the button from rotating.

Referring to the drawings, in Figure 1 is shown a front view of the push button complete. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a view similar to that in Fig. 2, with the sheath in section, for showing the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 8, 1907.

Patented June '7, 1910.

Serial No. 361,372.

interior. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan, with the contact springs omitted. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section, with the sheath removed. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section taken at right angles to that in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 shows the finger piece with its slotted bar. Fig. 8 is a side view of one of the contact springs. Fig. 9 is a different view of the same spring. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the same spring.

In all figures, like numbers refer to like parts.

The finger piece or button 2 by means of which motion is imparted to the contact bar 6 slides easily within the sheath 1, and when at the upper limit of its motion, is flush with the top of said protecting sheath 1. By the mere pulling upon the button, or pressing upon the insulating base, all the working parts may be removed from said sheath.

The push button is provided with an insulating base 3 in one piece, projecting from the lower end of the sheath 1, and kept in place by an annular stop flange 3", at the rear end of the sheath 1, said flange being of such internal diameter as to allow the smaller rear part 3 of the insulating base 3 to slide easily through the smaller opening thus formed in the rear of the sheath 1, while the larger part of the base fits in the front part of the sheath. The shoulder 3*, on the base 3, bears on said flange 3 The contact springs 4 and 5 project from the insulating base 3. End portions of the springs 4 and 5 seen at 26 and 27 are normally electrically open as shown and are in such position that when the finger piece 2 is pressed, together with the contact bar 6, they are forced apart, and the spring action so induced, presses them firmly, and with a scraping action, into electrical contact with the contact bar 6.

The retractile spring 10 is under moderate compression between the finger piece 2 and the base 3, and said spring 10 keeps the finger piece 2 normally flush with the face of the sheath. The upward motion of the finger piece 2 is limited by a pin 7, which extends through a slot 6 in the contact bar 6. The pins 8 and '9 pass through grooves L in the base 3, and hold the contact springs 4 and 5 firmly to the insulating base 3, and prevent the latter from being forced out of said base 3. Each spring, 4 and 5, as seen by itself in Figs. 9 and 10, has shoulders 1 bearing on the base 3 as shown at M in Fig. 5.

The base 3 has a central vertical aperture, as shown at 3, of the same cross-sectional shape as that of the contact bar 6, but of slightly larger dimensions so as to allow the bar 6 to slide easily through it, to make a scraping contact with the contact springs 4 and 5, upon pressing the finger piece 2. The bar 6 cannot therefore rotate. The finger piece 2 may have an engraved indicating letter A on it, which letter should be vertical and not rotate. The pin 7, held tightly in a crooked groove 3 and passing through the slot 6 in the contact bar 6, limits the upward motion of the finger piece 2; said slot 6 being in such a position, that when the finger plece 2 is flush with the front of the protecting sheath 1, the pin 7 is at the lower end of the slot 6 The pins 8 and 9, for securing the contact springs 4 and 5, are placed sufficiently far below the face of the base 3, to avoid all danger of the spring 10 coming in contact with them, and so making a short circuit. This effect is due to the groove L already mentioned. The enlarged ends 1 and 5 of the contact springs 4: and 5, opposite the contact points 26 and 27, are bent back upon themselves in such a manner obliquely, that tapered holes are formed as shown in the drawing, allowing the insertion of the terminal wires of an electrical circuit and an automatic binding action. By virtue of said holes being tapered, and the metal springy, the circuit wires are held firmly, and in electrical contact with the springs 4E and 5. The circuit wires are thus quickly applied, and detached.

Referring particularly to Fig. 6, which is an axial section through the mechanism parallel to and passing through the axis of the retaining pin 7, there is shown the position of the pin 7, when in place; the said retaining pin 7 being shorter than the diameter of the face of the insulating base 3, so that the two ends of the pin 7 may be embedded or countersunk in the base 3, and thus not be in contact with the retaining sheath 1 when assembled.

What I claim is 1. A push button consisting of the combination of a sheath, a button therein, a circuit closing bar extending from said button and having a slot, an insulating base having a hole for receiving said bar, a pin frictionally held on said base and passing through said slot, said base having other holes, bent contact springs in said holes, pins at the bends thereof and pressing upon said base, one end of each spring being for holding the terminals of circuit wires, and the other end of each spring lying in the path of said bar, and a retractile spring between said button and said base.

2. A push button consisting of the 'c diiibi nation of a sheath, a button therein, a cir cuit closing bar extending from said button, and having a slot, an insulating base having a hole for receiving said bar, a pin frictionally held in said base and passing through said slot, bent contact springs, pins at the bends thereof for holding said springs to said base, one end of each spring being for holding the terminals of circuit wires, and the other end of each spring lying -in the path of said bar, and a retractile spring between said button and said base.

3. A push button consisting of the combination of a sheath, abutton therein, a circuit closing bar extending from said button, and having a slot, an insulating base having three holes, one for receiving said bar, a pin frictionally held upon said base and passing through said slot, bent contact springs in the other holes, pins at the bends thereof and held tightly to said base, one end of each spring being for holding the terminals of circuit wires, and the other end of each spring lying in the path of said bar, and a 'retractile spring between said button and said base, each contact spring being of sheet metal bent upon itself, and having enlarged ends with shoulders which are pressed against said base by said pins.

4. A push button consisting of the combination of a sheath, a button therein, a circuit closing bar extending from said button, and having a slot, an insulating base having a hole for receiving said bar, a pin frictionally held in said base and passing through said slot, and free from contact with said sheath, said base having other holes, bent contact springs in said holes, pins at the bends thereof and frictionally held to said base, one end of each spring being for holding the terminals of circuit wires, and the other end of each spring lying in the path of said bar, and a retractile spring between said button and said base.

5. A push button consisting of the combination of a sheath, a button therein, a circuit closing bar extending from said button, and having a slot, an insulating base having a hole for receiving said bar, a pin frictionally held in said base and passing through said slot, said base having other holes, bent contact springs in said holes, pins for holding said springs to said base, said slot being long enough to permit said bar to not only touch said spring terminals but to push them apart with a scraping action, and said springs being flexible throughout substantially their whole lengths.

6. In a push button, an insulating base having holes, resilient sheet metal strips in said holes, said strips having bends adapted to receive retaining pins, enlarged external looped portions adapted to receive circuit r wires and to form shoulders for bearing on said base, and external free ends to form contacts, in combination with retaining pins bearing on said base and passing through said bends, and a movable contact bar for making an electrical connection with said contacts.

7. In a push button, an insulating base having holes, springs in two of said holes and having free ends adapted to make electrical contact with a contact bar, a finger piece having secured thereto a contact bar, said contact bar having a slot formed therein and being adapted to play in a third hole in said base and to make an electrical connection with said springs, in combination with a removable stop pin on said base and passing through said slot in said bar, and a retractile spring between said finger piece and said base.

8. In a push button, the combination of a circuit closing bar, springs, one portion of each spring bein bent into a spring loop serving as a binding post for receiving a circuit wire, and another portion as a contact for said bar, and a base for supporting the above named elements.

9. In a push button, the combination of an insulating base having longitudinal holes, strips of resilient metal bent so as to form limbs, said limbs being contained within said holes, means for retaining said strips in place, loops formed in said strips and external to said holes and adapted to receive circuit wires, and a movable contact bar for electrically connecting said strips.

10.In a push button, the combination of an insulating base having three parallel rectangular holes extending longitudinally through said base, resilient sheet metal strips forming springs in two of said holes, said springs having free ends external to said holes and bent toward each other and partially covering the orifice of the third hole, and a contact bar movable in the third hole, one end of said bar being adapted to make a scraping electrical contact with said springs when protruded fromsaid third hole.

11. In a push button, the combination of an insulating base having a crooked groove across its back adapted, by reason of its change of direction, to hold Within itself a normally straight pin, a movable contact bar with a slot formed therein, and a resilient normally straight pin in said groove and passing through said slot, said pin being retained in said groove by spring pressure against its sides, and contact springs on said base and in the path of said bar.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

DIMNITT R. LOVEJOY.

Witnesses:

L. E. HICKS, EDWARD P. TI-IoMPsoN. 

